The Hydra faces down the Shields of the Emperor. Can the Alpha Legion overwhelm the Imperial Fists?

I played in a very exciting game this past Thursday evening at a friend’s home. I brought my siege style Imperial Fists and my friend was running his infantry heavy Alpha Legion. So here is the 30k zBatrep.

Deployment & Mission

We picked a mission from one of the Forge World Horus Heresy books. The defender deploys in the center of the table and gets to go first while the attacker can deploy along both short table edges up to 12″. I was the defender deploying all but one of my HQ embarked in the Land Raider and the Siege Breaker in artificer armor attached to the mortars in a crater. The Contemptor would arrive first via drop pod while both Terminator squads were deep striking.

My opponent deployed his Knight, one Tactical Squad and a mortar along one short table edge. He also deployed the Master of Signals attached to the heavy support squad. Skorr attached to a tactical squad and his other two quad mortars along the other short table edge.

How the Mission Works…

There are five objective markers placed by the players which you roll on a table at the end of the game to see how many victory points each is worth BUT it’s possible you can score zero or even lose d3 points for controlling an objective marker!

You also score a victory point for each destroyed enemy unit.

The secondary objective was Slay the Warlord.

The Game Begins!

++ 1st Turn Imperial Fists ++

The Contemptor arrives via drop pod landing close by the enemy heavy support team. He chose to remain embarked this turn.

The Land Raider carrying the Praetor, Weapons Master (Siege Breaker in terminator armor) and command squad lurches up 6″ to the closest tactical squad. They disembark and will need to make a 3″ charge.

The quad mortars open fire on the enemy heavy support team followed up by the Contemptor. When the smoke clears all that is left is one Marine and the Master of Signals – they pass their break check.

The Praetor and his posse just make the charge… Many Alpha Legionaries are slaughtered with no wounds in return but are able to just pass their break check and hold.

++ 1st Turn Alpha Legion ++
The Knight shuffles forward towards the Land Raider but will be outside of assault range this turn. Everyone else holds their ground.

The Praetor and his posse then finish off the remainder of the Tactical squad and Apothecary then consolidate towards the lone enemy quad mortar.

Kill Points Imperial Fists: 2 Alpha Legion: 1

++ 2nd Turn Imperial Fists ++
The first Terminator squad arrives via deep strike landing behind a large piece of terrain to block line of sight from the enemy Knight.

The Contemptor disembarks to charge the enemy Master of Signals and lone Devastator.

The Land Raider moves in position to cut off line of sight to the Praetor and his posse from the Knight while they move into position to assault the lone enemy quad mortar.

The Contemptor charges in slaying the Master of Signals and last Devastator while the Praetor and his crew slay the enemy mortar team. They consolidate back towards the Land Raider for optimal cover.

++ 2nd Turn Alpha Legion ++
The Knight moves in towards the land raider while maintaining a safe distance as well. All other enemy units hold their ground.

The Knight is unable to harm the land raider this turn however the thermal blast catches one of the Chosen eradicating the champion. The two remaining enemy mortar teams are unable to harm the Contemptor… However the remaining tactical squad furies the terminators off the table.

The Praetor and his team embark upon the Land Raider which then moves away from the Knight heading towards some centrally located objective markers.

Combined fire from the Contemptor and land raider kill another enemy mortar team.

++ 3rd Turn Alpha Legion ++
The Knight manages to strip another hull point from the Land Raider and its Avenger Gatling cannon and rocket pod finishes off my quad mortar team while the remaining enemy mortar team strip two hull points from the Contemptor… Both the Land Raider and Contemptor have one hull point each remaining.

The Contemptor re-enters his drop pod. The land raider targets the Knight but is unable to inflict any damage.

++ 4th Turn Alpha Legion ++
Another quick turn… The Knight kills two Terminators with the Avenger Gatling cannon and they break off the table… Jeebus Q_Q

However the Knight is unable to strip the last hull point from the Land Raider.

Kill Points Imperial Fists: 6 Alpha Legion: 4

++ 5th Turn Imperial Fists ++
It’s time to go to work now and do some heavy lifting… The traitors must be purged !!!

The Contemptor disembarks from his drop pod looking to make a long charge into the enemy tactical squad with Skorr while the Land Raider pulls up beside the Knight – the Praetor and his remaining crew disembark to assault the Knight.

The Praetor and his team manage to strip two hull points from the Knight losing two of the Chosen in return.Weapons Master assault Knight. The Contemptor however fails to make its charge.

++ 5th Turn Alpha Legion ++
The Tactical squad and Skorr back away from the Contemptor but roll poorly for move through cover and suffer a poor roll to run as well.

The quad mortar team then fail to strip the last hull point from the Contemptor.

The Knight kills my Praetor (Slay the Warlord) and the last of his Chosen, however the Weapons Master strips another hull point along with another from last Chosen’s melta bomb.

Kill Points Imperial Fists: 6 Alpha Legion: 6 + StWL

At this point I’m losing the game (potentially) since the Alpha Legion tactical squad is the only unit holding an objective marker and my opponent has StWL…

Thus I invoke an Imperial Fists’ special rule The Bitter End which ensure the game will continue onto another final turn !

++ 6th Turn Imperial Fists ++
The Land Raider moves onto an objective marker while the Contemptor moves close into assault range of the enemy tactical squad.

Shooting from the Land Raider destroys the last enemy quad mortar team.

The Contemptor reaches combat and breaks the tactical squad off the table along with Skorr for Slay the Warlord then consolidates onto the objective marker they were holding. The Weapons Master strips another HP from Knight and somehow manages to survive bringing it down to its last hull point.

Game Over !!!

Kill Points Imperial Fists: 10 + StWL Alpha Legion: 7 + StWL

I’m ahead by 3 victory points and it’s time to roll for the objective markers… I actually lose 1 victory point on the first roll bringing my overall margin down to 0… I then roll for the second objective for a net gain of 2 victory points…